Orthopedic braces embody a broad range of structures, each having the common purpose of supporting and/or stabilizing a skeletal joint when worn on the body of a user. The orthopedic brace may serve either a preventative role or a remedial role. In a preventative role, the brace provides added support and stability to a healthy skeletal joint, thereby reducing the risk of injury when the joint is subjected to undue stress. In a remedial role, the brace supports and stabilizes a skeletal joint which has been weakened by injury or other infirmity, thereby reinforcing the joint and reducing the risk of further injury while the joint is rehabilitated.
Conventional orthopedic braces typically include a frame consisting of a plurality of rigid support members positioned adjacent to the body on either side of the skeletal joint being stabilized. The rigid support members are dynamically interconnected by one or more rotational hinges. Thus, a conventional knee brace typically includes a frame having a rigid upper support member positioned adjacent to the upper leg and a rigid lower support member positioned adjacent to the lower leg. A rotational hinge positioned adjacent to the knee dynamically interconnects the rigid upper and lower support members enabling controlled pivotal movement of the knee joint during user activity or rehabilitative therapy. The knee brace is typically secured to the leg by a plurality of straps.
One destabilizing condition of the knee joint is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that results in chronic pain to the subject when the knee joint is statically or dynamically loaded. Osteoarthritis is commonly the result of aging, knee joint overuse, or injury. Osteoarthritic pain is caused by an unbalanced loading on the medial or lateral compartment of the knee joint which closes the clearance space forming the compartment between the condyles of the femur and tibia. When there is contact of the condyles in the afflicted compartment of the knee joint, abrasion occurs at the contact surface producing pain in the joint. Wearing a knee brace on the affected leg is a common noninvasive means of treating osteoarthritis to reduce the pain associated therewith. The present invention recognizes the need for a knee brace which has an osteoarthritis treatment function.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a knee brace for treatment of osteoarthritis in the knee joint. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotational hinge assembly for a knee brace which treats osteoarthritis in the knee joint. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotational hinge assembly for a knee brace which applies a treatment force to the knee joint of the user. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rotational hinge assembly for a knee brace which applies an adjustable treatment force to the knee joint of the user. These objects and others are achieved by the invention described hereafter.
These objects and others are accomplished in accordance with the invention described hereafter.